The Things We Harbor
by wrongnotes
Summary: Through both misery and bliss, their bond could attest for their love; no matter the circumstance. A collection of stories revolving around Ed and Winry. Cowritten by wrongnote and smilesstar (ao3)


**A/N: This is our first time doing a collaborative work, so I hope you all bear with us and enjoy! Updates will be irregular, and some storylines may have multiple parts. We'll try to add new chapters as often as our schedules allow us, and will provide any content warnings and genre before every chapter. :)**

 **This chapter is fluff, with some suggestive content. (sexual tension cough cough)**

* * *

 _ **Between the Spaces**_

Ed listened to the door slam behind him, taking solace in the thunderous boom that shook the walls of the house. If the only way he could express anger was through destruction, then so be it.

"Come on brother, it's not a big deal!" He heard Al shout after him. Ed merely rolled his eyes. It most certainly _was_ a big deal, especially when Winry was involved.

He could still see the image of that _man_ smirking in his direction, lying half naked as Winry worked on his arm. Despite her protests that he was just a "customer," Ed knew better.

He did _not_ like that man. Not one bit.

As usual, his input would never be considered. What did it matter what _he_ thought, as long as she was making money off another client.

Ed crossed his arms over his chest and paced around his room, glaring at whatever inanimate object crossed his path. Was he being irrational? Perhaps. Did he care? Not one bit. He knew how easy it was for automail patients to take advantage of their mechanics, he'd heard the stories. No matter how easily Winry could take care of herself, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself if one tried something on _his watch._

Ed huffed once more and threw a pillow off his bed. Why didn't she _care?!_ There must have been something he was missing, a piece to the puzzle that would surely explain why she was so unperturbed by such mannerisms.

He stopped himself and sucked in a breath. What if there _was_ something going on and he was just too oblivious to see it?

Before he could let his thoughts continue down that path, the walls rattled again as Al threw the door open.

"What the hell, Al?!" Ed spun around to face his brother, whose face was twisted in a scowl that would make any child run for the hills. Though Ed could be scary when angered, Al was downright _horrifying._

"Come on." Al gripped his sleeve and pulled, dragging Ed into the hallway with a strength he wouldn't have been able to muster a month prior.

"This is the third time you two have fought over something stupid. Your little 'silent treatment' lasted a week last time and I do _not_ want to sit through another." Al shoved him into the nearby coat closet, and Ed noticed Winry was already inside, head turned to the wall. "If you two haven't made up by the time I come back, there _will_ be consequences."

Ed jumped as the door slammed once more, and he heard the distinct crackle of alchemy from the other side. Had Al _sealed_ it shut?

Great. Just _great._

He glanced over at Winry to notice she was still glaring at nothing in particular, cheeks red with frustration. He shuffled his feet and a small growl grew in the back of his throat. Since when did Al get so fed up over their fights?

His little brother _did_ have a point though. It had been about four months since the brothers had returned home to Resembool, and the tension between the former alchemist and the crazy gearhead of a childhood friend had never been greater. It seemed like the littlest things she did could aggravate him to no end; he just didn't know _why._

Maybe it was because he liked her so damn much and didn't know what to do about it.

He sighed, running his hand through his disheveled hair. "Look," he began, leaning over and attempting to catch the fuming blonde mechanic who took more interest in the white walls than him. "Al's not going to let us out of here until we talk this thing out, so let's just get it over with."

Winry's head turned only slightly, vibrant blue eyes darkening in her frustration. "Fine, Ed. I guess you can start by apologizing."

"What do _I_ have to apologize for?!" Ed snapped, any resolve he had completely collapsed. "I was just looking out for you and you yelled at me about it!"

"He wasn't doing anything Ed!" Winry fired back. "He's a paying customer and it's my job to be civil! And since you live here again, it's your job as well! If you can't even do that, at least stay away!"

"That asshole was ogling you, and you just sat there and let it happen!" Ed remembered how the smug bastard had looked Winry up and down, smirking whenever she had to lean over him to get a better look at his automail, thoughts obviously roaming the male's head that were anything but innocent.

"I'll have you know he was an incredibly pleasant customer!" Winry stood up, moving relatively closer to him. "Even if he had tried anything with me, I would've knocked his lights out! You know that!"

Ed was silently fuming, glaring deeply in the annoying, but admittedly pretty, angry girl's eyes.

"I don't need you to be my personal knight in shining armor!" Winry continued, yelling even louder than before. "I am a grown-ass woman, Edward! I am fully capable of taking care of myself-"

Before she could say anything else, Ed grabbed her wrists, pinning her directly to the wall. He made sure not to push her so harshly as to hurt her, but just to get her to listen.

Winry was shocked, large doe-like eyes staring directly into Ed's hardened ones.

"If you want me to feel sorry about being concerned about you, I'm not. If you want me to say that it was acceptable to just let that guy undress you with his eyes, I won't. If you want the truth? I was worried and god damn jealous."

Ed could feel Winry's warm breath on his skin, and he watched as a bead of sweat slid down her neck. They were nearly nose to nose at this point, and his eyes strayed downward until they were focused on her lips.

"Wha-" before she could finish he closed the distance between them, slamming his mouth onto hers in a less than dignified way. He felt her arms slacken beneath his grip as the shock settled in, lips loosening to move against his.

Ed had no clue what he was doing; he had acted on impulse with no other idea of how to make her stop yelling. Luckily for him, his methods were effective.

He kissed her with inexperience, but with such fervor. He released her wrists so that one arm could snake around her waist, and the other could lace its fingers through her locks. With her newfound freedom, Winry's hands came up to cup his face, the pads of her thumbs running across his rough skin.

He had no idea if he was even doing this correctly, but he certainly didn't want to stop. If he could forgo all needs of oxygen so that he could kiss Winry for the rest of his life, he would sacrifice anything to make that happen.

Unfortunately air _was_ a necessity and the two were forced to part.

Heavy breathing filled the air, flushed faces and hormones in full force. Their foreheads were pressed against each other, still desperate to feel the other's presence.

Their entire argument had seemed _trivial_ compared to this; he had almost forgotten it entirely. How he had gone so long without knowing this sensation was bewildering to him, as now it was all he craved. It seemed as if they were the only two people in the world, and he was loving every second of it.

When Ed reopened his eyes, he met Winry's, now laced with determination.

Taken aback, Winry grabbed his own arms, changing their positions so that he was the one pinned to the wall. It was a bit rougher than he had done to her, making the wall shake and a box of gloves and mittens fall to the floor.

Winry paid it no mind, crushing her lips to his once again. Apparently her desires were just as fervid as his, and she had every intention of showing them.

Ed certainly wasn't complaining, although he missed the feeling of false superiority he had over her. All he wanted was to kiss this girl, and he'd gladly take her in any position.

Feeling a bit bolder, Ed's hands reached down to her hips, squeezing them. Winry gasped, a small moan falling from her lips as she reached up to dig her fingernails lightly into his back, earning a pleasured hiss from him.

What started as gentle, drawn out kissing turned into fiercely making out. Both were fighting for control, the walls thudding as knick-knacks and coats crashed to the ground.

A voice in Ed's head told him that someone would hear, they should probably stop, and this probably wasn't the most _romantic_ first kiss.

But every other part of his body did not care whatsoever.

That's why it took Al opening the closet door, finding a mentally scarring scene in front of him, to snap him out of it.

"I swear, you two are even fighting in _here?!_ What will it-" Al stopped in his tirade, seeing two flushed teenagers. Ed had managed to press Winry back against the wall, hiking one of her legs up. Winry had taken out his hair tie, fingers tugging at his hair.

They were blushing, disheveled clothes doing nothing to prove their innocence.

"Oh." Was all Al said, turning away from the two.

"I'm glad you two found a way to work out your issues," he continued, unable to hide his own smirk. "I'm going to the market to buy some ear plugs."

Al closed the door on the two, the small space darkening once again.

The closet was occupied until nightfall.


End file.
